Fla. man wins $35M lottery jackpot with computer software

Jul 19, 2011, 11:50 am (72 comments)

Florida Lottery

Perseverance pays off for long-time Lotto player

When Paul Hemphill picked the winning lottery numbers in 1995, he made just one mistake: He never bought a ticket.

He didn't make that mistake twice. Two months ago, the 66-year-old retiree strolled into Hollywood Food Mart, plunked down $2 and walked away.

Two days later, he was a multi-millionaire.

The winner of the May 28 jackpot — worth a hefty $35 million — asked for the cash up front. After taxes, he pocketed more than $20 million.
The Hallandale Beach resident says he's satisfied to have won the prize, but doesn't want any attention for his new-found riches.

"I don't want a situation where people are going to be camping out in my yard," Hemphill said. "I just want to melt into the woodwork."

The reserved retiree says he plans to use his winnings to provide a better life for his relatives. "It's just a satisfaction knowing I have the security to take care of my family," he said.

Hemphill said he's been playing the Florida Lottery from its inception, back in 1988.

Though the odds of winning the lotto are extraordinary — greater than one in 22 million — Hemphill says he's got a system that gives him an edge: He uses a computer program to pick his numbers.

He said this year's win isn't the first time the software has selected correctly: in July 1995, the computer screen displayed the numbers 2-6-10-18-27-44.

But Hemphill didn't act. "Something happened and I didn't play that particular night," he said.

Days later, the jackpot was announced, and Hemphill realized he missed out on a $7 million prize.

Three years later, he hit a financial setback: court records show he declared bankruptcy in 1998. He declined to discuss the case.

He said throughout it all, he felt someone was looking over him — and no more so than on the morning of May 29.

He awoke that day, he said, turned on his television and checked the drawing from the night before. The digits 7-36-41-42-44-47 flashed across the screen.

"I looked at the first two numbers and said, 'I've got it,' and I went back to bed," he said.

Last week, a $20,574,470 wire transfer hit the bank account of a company he created to receive the winnings.

Hemphill credits his win — and his almost-win — to Lotto Pro, a computer program made by Polk City company Data Solutions.

There, the owner knows Hemphill by name. "He's probably one of our most loyal customers," said John Lake, who started the company in 1989.

Lake said the $35 million jackpot is the largest anyone has ever won using the software, which he said has sold thousands of copies.

Though he said the software can't guarantee a win, it "reduces the odds against you" by analyzing previous wins to spot trends.

But experts say that's a daunting prospect, given that the lottery commission goes out of its way to ensure the numbers are random — and not influenced by any other factors.

The previous winning numbers "will only have a role if the lotto is very careless," said Subramanian Ramakrishnan, a professor of mathematics at the University of Miami. "They have a very elaborate process of checking the balls, making sure the weights are right, the mechanism is working well."

Those facts don't dissuade Hemphill, who says his system has already proven itself.

The one thing he says he will do with his new-found riches?

Keep playing the lotto.

"I'm going to hit again," he said.

Thanks to Nino224 for the tip.

Miami Herald

Comments

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Well, the odds say that eventually even the system numbers will get lucky.

It would be impossible for them to never win.

I'm glad to see his system was lucky enough to pick the right lucky numbers.

Finally, a system has won a Jackpot! Now, that was lucky!

                                        Surrender

martingorgeous's avatarmartingorgeous

Good for Paul Hemphill and the computer program he used.

Success depends on luck. And luck depends on your mindset and you reaching your full potential.

Luck can be learned. Wink

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I use my computer to comment on Lottery Post ................. and I haven't won ???????????

Jester

time*treat's avatartime*treat

"I don't want a situation where people are going to be camping out in my yard," Hemphill said.

Exactly. The sense of entitlement among the begging class ... Angry

Editgap

Lotto pro is the only software that I evaluated I thought it was worth the 40 or 50 buck to buy. But after trying to find the key to update the software several time, it has become another junk file on my computer. Congrats to him.

jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

Quote: Originally posted by time*treat on Jul 19, 2011

"I don't want a situation where people are going to be camping out in my yard," Hemphill said.

Exactly. The sense of entitlement among the begging class ... Angry

shame we have a begging class in the usa. does begging work? i had a stroke and was fired because i wasn't fast enough. i'd be happy to work. i have degrees in physics, math, astrophysics. i've worked as a programmer, mold designer, teacher, home remodeller, pizza delivery driver, restaurant manager, busboy and secretary. i'd be willing to try begging, my left side is mostly paralyzed. i would look really pathetic. would i make a good beggar?No Pity!

jarasan's avatarjarasan

Not a Quick Pick!  Some would say and reiterate it was "lucky".  I agree systems can make you "luckier"  as a matter of fact...... made this guy a lot  luckier.  Super lucky $20,000,000 luckier,  four leaf clover lucky,  therefore at this time "in honor of the system player"  I will not release the quick pigs!  We shall ELP a lucky song.

White horses,  ladies,  and satin........................

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

the thing i don't understand is,why he did'tt buy a ticket the first time.i mean if you 're serious enough to buy a system how can you miss buying the ticket ? and would't winning a age 53 be more fun than agev 66 he could have retired 13 yrs. earlier ?

TheOtherOne's avatarTheOtherOne

Quote: Originally posted by haymaker on Jul 19, 2011

the thing i don't understand is,why he did'tt buy a ticket the first time.i mean if you 're serious enough to buy a system how can you miss buying the ticket ? and would't winning a age 53 be more fun than agev 66 he could have retired 13 yrs. earlier ?

I know what you're saying but it just doesn't always work that way. he even stated 'something happened' and he didnt buy a ticket.Could be any number of things that caused him not to (illness, something out of the blue came up, etc). But what I find odd is that he can remember the date and has the numbers from that time. Why couldnt he remember what happened?Nonetheless, you might say it was fate...had he won back then, just 7 million, I would say he would not still be retired. And maybe it would have led to him NOT winning THIS time for the much better $20 million.Best of luck to him...and the sales reps of the software that banked him the money...i am sure they are quite busy right now lol

temptustoo's avatartemptustoo

Well Lotto Pro is happy for the Shout out...  I'm sure the orders are piling up .. LOL... I will pass on that system

eddessaknight's avatareddessaknight

CONGRATS TO  WINNER

Proving again that all things are possible and all games are beatable!

EddessaKnight Hurray!

CashWinner$

WOW - Thats Awesome!

Party

Trillionaire

Quote: Originally posted by jeffrey on Jul 19, 2011

shame we have a begging class in the usa. does begging work? i had a stroke and was fired because i wasn't fast enough. i'd be happy to work. i have degrees in physics, math, astrophysics. i've worked as a programmer, mold designer, teacher, home remodeller, pizza delivery driver, restaurant manager, busboy and secretary. i'd be willing to try begging, my left side is mostly paralyzed. i would look really pathetic. would i make a good beggar?No Pity!

There is a begging class in every country including Canada. Last week it was high school students at the grocery store begging for money for some "cause". I just ignore these people.

Don't reduce yourself to the level of a beggar. You are obviously a very intelligent person, Jeffrey, and I think that you should do your level best to find a way to put your knowledge and talents to use.

I wish you well.

OldSchoolPa's avatarOldSchoolPa

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jul 19, 2011

Well, the odds say that eventually even the system numbers will get lucky.

It would be impossible for them to never win.

I'm glad to see his system was lucky enough to pick the right lucky numbers.

Finally, a system has won a Jackpot! Now, that was lucky!

                                        Surrender

I Agree! but I will pass on buying any lottery system.  But believers in lottery systems will say his win validates the effectiveness of such things.  To that, I say, "hogwash!"  He has been playing since the lottery's inception in 1988.  I played Florida Lotto in 1989 thru 1990, and I had a ticket that had all six winning numbers.  The only problem was that 3 of them was on one line and the other 3 were on the line below it.....DOH! (Yep I had a Homer Simpson moment).

When Paul Hemphill picked the winning lottery numbers in 1995, he made just one mistake: He never bought a ticket.  I could say the same thing happened to me.  In December 2002, I had pored over some past Big Game tickets I had played and the string of drawings and had zeroed in on a particular set of numbers.  That same day, my wife guilt tripped me about playing the lottery, so I didn't play those numbers.  As we were driving back home from an early Christmas party, I heard the radio announce the winning Big Game numbers....many of them sounded familiar.  So when I got back home, I looked at the piece of paper I had written the set of numbers on and realized I would have won....if only I would have bought a ticket.  So no longer do I let my wife guilt trip me about playing the lottery.  If she is so against the lottery, then I imagine she will be against me spending any of my lottery winnings on her.

Anyway, congrats on having your money woes answered...still waiting for my day...in anonymity basking in the glow of a huge jackpot win.

Subscribe to this news story